1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for transporting a sheet and forming an image on the sheet, such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, or a complex machine, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus driver, to be connected to an image forming apparatus, for performing an operation setting, an operation setting device for use in an image forming apparatus incorporated with the image forming apparatus driver, an image forming apparatus incorporated with the operation setting device, and an image forming system incorporated with the operation setting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 4 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-241041 (D1), in an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copier using sheets of a size capable of longitudinal transport in which a long side direction of the sheet is aligned with a sheet transport direction, and transverse transport in which a short side direction of the sheet is aligned with the sheet transport direction, multiple binding position information for a sheet bundle have been used. Therefore, complex sorting is required to determine whether proper stapling/punching processing is executable, based on a designated printing direction, sheet size, and sheet transport direction. This may make a designation of a post-processing position by a user, or an operation concerning post-processing information to be executed by a program complicated.
In use of a post-processor such as a stapler or a punch, in the case where the long side of a small-sized sheet e.g. A4 size sheet, and the short side of a large-sized sheet e.g. A3 size sheet are equal in length, it is possible to perform post-processing in a state that the short side of the large-sized sheet and the long side of the small-sized sheet having the same length are aligned with each other.
In view of the above, D1 discloses an arrangement that a binding margin is defined at a predetermined position on a sheet in forming image data on a first sheet, and a binding margin is defined in forming image data on a second sheet by aligning the sheet transport directions of the first sheet and the second sheet in such a manner that the lengths of the binding margins of the first sheet and the second sheet are equal to each other. In the case where an image is to be formed on a special sheet where a picture, a format, or the like has already been printed, post-processing may be carried out after an image is formed on the special sheet in an unwanted printing direction, because the printing direction is determined depending on the setting direction of the special sheet with respect to a sheet cassette.
Also, as shown in FIG. 9(c) of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-209141 (D2), two binding positions in a long side direction and two binding positions in a short side direction are displayed on a post-processing side setting screen of a printer driver so that the user can select one of the binding positions. In this case, since the number of combinations on binding position is small, the user may find it difficult to select an intended binding pattern. Conversely, if all the possible combinations on binding position are listed, e.g. thirty-two binding patterns are displayed, it is not easy for the user to select a proper binding pattern, which may lower the operability. This drawback may also occur in the case where post-processing is performed for a sheet bundle of the same size including a portrait image and a landscape image.
In the specification and claims, “portrait printing” means printing an image on a sheet placed vertically i.e. with the shorter side at the top, and “landscape printing” means printing an image on a sheet placed horizontally i.e. with the longer side at the top, and a portrait image and a landscape image are images printed by the portrait printing and the landscape printing, respectively.
The number of setting items to be designated on a setting screen of a printer driver is increased, as the printer has multi-functions. As a result, the setting screen may be divided into multiple pages e.g. seven pages, and merely a setting screen corresponding to a selected tab page may be displayed on a monitor. If it is necessary to set many items, the user may likely to forget the setting contents of the items. As a result, the user is required to switch the tab pages many times to check the setting contents, which may lower the operability.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-287930 (D3) discloses printing a reference list in which all the setting items and the setting contents of the individual setting items are correlated to each other. The reference list is printed in response to a user's request for support by the telephone. In ordinary printing operations, the user may not print/output the setting contents after all the items are set or during the setting operation to check the setting contents.
In use of a stapler, stapling at two middle positions in a long side direction of A3 size sheet is restricted. In using a sheet printed with e.g. a letterhead, whose printing direction is fixed, the setting direction of the sheet with respect to a sheet cassette also serves as a factor in determining whether stapling is allowed or not.
In view of the above, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-174064 (D4) discloses an arrangement, in which judgment is made as to whether combination of a designated stapling position and a designated setting direction of a sheet with respect to a sheet cassette corresponds to an allowable combination described in judgment information stored in a storage; and if the designated combination does not correspond to the allowable combination, an image forming operation is restricted by locking an operation of a printing section, and a message “CHANGE THE SETTING DIRECTION OF SHEET” is displayed on an LCD of an operating section. In this arrangement, judgment as to whether stapling at the designated stapling position is restricted is made only after the stapling position is designated, which is not desirable in the aspect of operation. On the other hand, if a judgment result as to whether stapling is allowed is displayed with respect to all the possible stapling positions before the stapling position is selected, too many alternatives are displayed, which is also not desirable in the aspect of operation. A similar drawback as mentioned above may occur in performing a punching processing.